History

The overcoat (Mantel) was a standard item of clothing worn by numerous German organisations.

The M40 field-grey overcoat is double breasted, features two rows of six grey buttons, and the collar is field-grey to match the rest of the coat. The coat has four front pockets, two lower flapped pockets and two vertical slit pockets above. The reverse of the coat features a half belt with two buttons and a vent with an inverted pleat. The vertical pleat on Officer’s coats reached from the collar to the hem, while on the coats of NCO/EM (non-commissioned officers/enlisted men) ranks it reached from the hemline to the waist. The vertical seam and box pleat allowed the coat to expand and accommodate the wearer’s uniform and bulky equipment underneath.

Officers with the rank of SS-Oberführer and higher were allowed to wear the top three buttons of the greatcoat open and from 1941 onwards, recipients of the Knight’s Cross were also permitted to do so.

Many Officers privately purchased their greatcoats with non-regulation additions, such as blanket lining, sheepskin or fur collars, reinforced buttons, and extra pockets. As a result, numerous variations of the standard Waffen-SS greatcoat can be encountered.

Early in the war, Waffen-SS greatcoats were issued with full rank and unit insignia, but as of June 1942, greatcoats were no longer produced with insignia due to material shortages. All Waffen-SS personnel were ordered to remove the collar tabs from their coats.

In February of 1943, it was determined that cuff titles could only be worn on privately purchased coats.

Waffen-SS personnel often ignored uniform regulations and continued to wear banned insignia. However, as a general rule, Waffen-SS greatcoats were to be worn without collar tabs and cuff titles from 1939 to 1942, and from 1942 to 1945, the coats were to be worn without collar tabs, cuff titles, and sleeve eagles.